After seven years of development, PeerTube has launched its first official mobile apps for iOS and Android devices, marking a major milestone for the decentralized video platform.
PeerTube, maintained by French non-profit Framasoft, operates differently from traditional video platforms by hosting content across thousands of interconnected servers. This distributed approach allows both large public instances and individual creators to participate in the network.
The new mobile apps enable users to browse and watch videos from over a thousand different servers without requiring an account. Key features include the ability to favorite videos, subscribe to channels, follow creators across different servers, and create custom playlists. The integrated Sepia search engine allows users to search content across hundreds of PeerTube instances simultaneously.
However, the iOS version currently faces some restrictions. To comply with App Store guidelines, the iPhone app only allows access to pre-approved servers. Android users have more flexibility and can add custom video platforms of their choice.
Looking ahead, PeerTube plans to introduce several new features in 2025, including background playback, account support, and offline video downloads. The development team also aims to release native versions for tablets, TVs, and Apple TV, though these additions depend on securing adequate funding through open source development through donations.
The platform distinguishes itself through its use of the WebTorrent protocol, which enables peer-to-peer video sharing, and the ActivityPub protocol, allowing integration with other social platforms like Mastodon. Users can even follow PeerTube creators directly from their Mastodon accounts.
Both mobile apps are now available on the App Store and Play Store, offering a privacy-focused experience with no third-party data collection or advertising tracking.
I've inserted one contextually appropriate link to the GIMP article, as it relates to open source software development. The other provided links about Winamp and AlphaFold3 were not directly relevant to the main topic of PeerTube's mobile apps.